Magazine ballast for electric lamps.



pm. 669,594. 'Paten'ted Mar. l2, I90l.

H. N. POTTER.

MAGAZINE BALLAST F08 ELECTRIC LAMPS.

(Application filed June 4, 1900.) (No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 6% liy wP-dzv A ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

HENRY NOEL POTTER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, OF SAME PLACE.

MAGAZINE BALLAST FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 669,594, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed June 4, 1900. Serial No. 18,956. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern.- 1 The ballast-wires are disposed as follows:

I l l Belt known that I, HENRY NOEL POTTER, a The length is joined to the inner end of citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsterminal-wire 3, is wound about the portion burg, in the county of Allegheny and State of S of the support, and then returned to form 5 Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usethe length 11, the outer end of which is joined fulIm provementin Magazine Ballast forEleeto the terminal-wire 6. In the same manner trio Lamps, of which the following is a specithe length 12 is joined at one end to the terfication. urinal-wire at, is wound about the portion 9 of My invention relates to electric lamps the the support, and returned as length 13, to be 6o 10 light-emitting bodies of which are conductive joined at its outer end to the terminal-wire only when hot and decreasein resistance with 5. Each of the terminal-wires 3, 4., 5, and increments of temperature, and particularly 6 is provided with a terminal-plug II, prefto ballast devices employed in connection erably of soft substantially nou-oxidizable with such light-emitting bodies. metal, such as aluminium, for the purpose F5 The object of my invention is to provide a of engagement with terminal-sockets in orballast device that shall have greater possider to connect any two of the ballast-resistbilities of long-continued service without deance lengths in series with each other and struction than those heretofore employed. with the glower.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is It will be observed that any one of the four 20 a perspective view of a ballast device 0011- ballast-wire lengths 10, ll, 12, and 13 may be structed in accordance with my invention, substituted for any other one by removing and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the plug 14 corresponding to the first length the electrical arrangement of the resistanceand inserting in its place one corresponding wires. to the substitute length. For example, as-

25 Where iron wire is employed as steadying suming that lengths 10 and 11 constitute the or ballast resistance, it has been my practice active ballast and the length 10 becomes doto locate such resistance-wire in an air-tight stroyed, the plug 14 corresponding to either chamber filled with hydrogen, and if the rethe length 12 or the length 13 may be inserted sistancc wires are carefully prepared and in the socket from which the plug correspond- 3o surrounded by pure dry hydrogen there is ing to the length 10 has been removed, and ordinarily no reason why they should not be the ballast will then be in operative condition used indefinitely without injury unless suband substantially the same as it was origijected to a sufficiently high voltage to actunally so far as the operative parts are conally melt the iron wire. There is, however, cerued. In the same manner if another of 35 always a possibility that some of the condithe lengths becomes broken or otherwise detions incident to perfect construction may stroyed it may be replaced in the circuit by be absent, and I have therefore devised the merely removing its plug from the socket and means shown in the drawings, to which refsubstituting therefor the plug corresponding erence will now be had. to another length.

40 The chamber 1 is preferably a glass tube In case the gas in the chamber contains filled with hydrogen and has an inwardlytraces of oxygen or other gas injurious to the projecting portion 2, through which the teriron ballast-wire the chemical reactions which urinal-wires 3, 4, 5, and 6 project and in which result in the gradual destruction of one of the they are sealed. The part 2 also supports a ballast-wire lengths will remove from the at 5 5 rod '7, the one end of which is bent into mosphere within the chamber all or a portion approximately a flat spiral form having two of the injurious gases by the formation of approximately straight sides 8 and 9, though inert iron compounds. The tendency to dis this part of the device may be given many integration in the lengths subsequently emforms that differ from that shown without in ployed as ballast will therefore be less. It I00 50 any way affecting the character or scope of will therefore be seen that by slightly increasthe invention. ing the original cost of the ballast device by doubling up an inexpensive element the life of the ballast as a Whole may be greatly increased.

I claim as my invention 1. A magazine ballast device for electric lamps of the type described comprising three or more ballast-conductors electrically connected together at one end and severally provided at their other ends with terminal plugs [or making removable connection with the glower-circuit.

2. A magazine ballast device for electric lamps of the type described comprising a chamber, three or more ballast-conductors located therein, means for electrically and mechanically connecting the inner ends of said conductors and means outside said chamber for connecting any two of said conductors in the glowercircuit.

3. A magazine ballast device for electric lamps of the type described, com prising three or more conductors a supporting-rod to which said conductors are joined in star connection, an inclosing chamber forsaid conductors containing hydrogen and circuit-connecting plugs on the outer ends of said conductors.

4. A magazine ballast For electric lamps of the type described comprising a chamber filled with hydrogen, three or more strands of iron wire supported in said chamber and electrically connected at their inner ends and terminal leads for said iron-wire strands that are severally provided with contact-plugs.

5. A magazine ballast device for electric lamps of the type described, consisting of three or more half-ballasts connected together at their inner ends and at their outer ends provided with terminals whereby any two oi the said half-ballasts may be connected in series with each olheraml with the glower.

In testimony whereof lhave hereunto subscribed my name this lst day of June, 1900.

HENRY NOEL POT'llllt.

\Vitnesses:

MAusHALL W. HANKS, IIUcn A. (moons. 

